Internal bag closure and automatic bag kit

ABSTRACT

An internal bag closure and a bag kit that includes a bag with handles and the internal bag closure. The internal bag closure includes a central portion dimensioned to cover an open top of a bag and a pair of handle orifices shaped to allow the easy passage of the handles of the bag through each orifice and their subsequent locking within each orifice.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to self opening square bags with handles, and in particular, to bag closures for covering the open tops of such bags.

BACKGROUND

Self opening square (SOS) bags are commonly used throughout the world for a number of purposes, including uses as gift bags and shopping bags. The term SOS is an industry recognized term, but SOS bags are not necessarily square as the name suggests. Rather, most are rectangular in shape and come in many sizes, colors, and patterns.

Typical automatically finished SOS bags commonly called “web” bags and examples of these are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and 2A and 2B. Each includes an open top, a pair of handles disposed inside the bag, and each folds substantially flat when not in use, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B.

The automatically finished SOS bags shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and 2A and 2B differ from those that are often referred to as “euro-style” manually finished shopping bags, insofar as they are typically manufactured automatically from a continuous roll of paper and not a single sheet of paper. Euro-style bags are commonly considered quality shopping bags, incorporating a reinforced turn-top, a bottom board, and better quality handles attached by knots, a continuously connected loop, or integrally to the turn-top by insertion through slits or die-cuts and attachment to the turn-top reinforcement. Conversely, automatically finished SOS bags do not typically include a reinforced turn-top or bottom board, and the handles are attached to a patch, which is sheet of cardboard or other material, that is glued to the inside surface of the bag. The handles of these bags are also typically manufactured from twisted or flat folded paper and are often substantially rigid.

When used as gift bags, the open top of the SOS bag must be obscured by tissue paper or some other barrier to prevent the recipient for knowing what it inside. Similarly, when used as shopping bags, paper or other barriers must be placed over items, such as clothing made from silk or suede, to protect the items from damage or from moisture entering through the open top of the bag. The use of tissue paper or other barriers in each case is not aesthetically pleasing and, as most papers used for these purposes do not repel moisture, they do not adequately protect the items inside of the bag from damage or theft. Therefore, there is a need for a bag closure for the open tops of SOS bags that will be aesthetically pleasing and will effectively protect the contents of the bag from damage or theft.

A number of prior art bags and bag closures have been developed, but each has major disadvantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,849 discloses a gift package that includes a bag topper that is designed to fit within the open top of the bag. This invention is more aesthetically pleasing than paper. However, its major drawback is its lack of a means of securing it to the open top of the bag, which makes it prone to shifting during transit. Accordingly, it is not effective at protecting the contents of the bag from damage.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,018, discloses a gift package with a topper that includes a pair of paperclip-like extensions that attach the topper to the right and left side gussets of the bag. This topper also has significant drawbacks. First, it requires the topper to rest above the top of the bag, which results either in the topper extending past the periphery of the bag or not adequately covering the top. In either case, it is not aesthetically pleasing, does not adequately obscure the contents when used as a gift bag, and does not adequately protect the contents of the bag. Further, it is prone to becoming dislodged in transit, which renders it ineffective at protecting the contents of the bag from damage.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,842, discloses a bag that represents an attempt to make a folding carton box from a bag and includes an integrated lid that purportedly folds flat when not in use. Unfortunately, this bag also has significant drawbacks. Because the lid is integrated with the bag, both the lid and bag must be made from the same material. Depending on the material chosen, the material is either heavy and rigid enough to make a folding carton, for example 350 gsm or more, or it's light enough to make a shopping bag, generally 120-170 gsm. However, it cannot be both. Accordingly, if the heavier material is chosen, the bag will not fold easily and the entire package will constitute a box and not a shopping bag that can be easily carried. If the lighter material is chosen, the lid will not be rigid enough to prevent deformation, which renders it ineffective at protecting the contents of the bag from damage.

U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2012/0051669 discloses a topper that takes the form of a decorative pop-up similar to those pages in children's books that pop up when opened. Certain embodiments of this topper function in the same manner as U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,849 and have the same drawbacks. Others are secured to the interior of the bag by adhesive material making them unsuited for reuse. Still others extend over the top of the bag and are secured to the front panel and back panel by adhesive, again making them unsuitable for reuse. All embodiments disclosed in the publication overlook that fact that they seek to marry a flexible structure, the bag, to a rigid or semi-rigid one. They only work by modifying one or the other materials and this causes function to fail.

Therefore, there is a need for a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that will be aesthetically pleasing, will effectively protect the contents of the bag from damage or theft, is secured within the open top of the bag, is not prone to shifting and loss of protection in transit, may be easily folded flat when not in use, is economical to manufacture, and which allows the bag to be reused.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an internal bag closure, and a bag kit that includes an SOS bag and the internal bag closure of the present invention.

The internal bag closure of the present invention is manufactured from a single sheet or panel of paper or lightweight board. The paper weight of the internal bag closure would ordinarily be between 250-400 gsm, but might be more or less, circumstances requiring. The internal bag closure would ordinarily be made of paper or board, laminated or unlaminated, coated or uncoated, or any other suitable material that offers a similar function.

A bag is ordinarily measured first by its width left to right, then by the open dimension of its side gussets, and finally by its height, such that a bag 405+150×450 mm measures 405 mm wide, has a depth, equal to its open gusset dimension, of 150 mm, and a height of 450 mm. The internal bag closure preferably has a length that is generally but not exclusively 10-15% less than the width of the bag. This is preferred in order to fit the internal bag closure within the side gussets without the gussets pressing against the ends of the internal bag closure.

The preferred panel has two parallel folded over sections, which extend the length of the internal bag closure and are generally and approximately 20-30 mm in width. The folds in the parallel folded over sections define a central section having a width approximately equal to the depth of the bag. A handle orifice is disposed through a portion of each fold between the central section and the folded over sections. Each handle orifice is preferably a slot shaped to allow the passage of the bag's handles through the orifice. The width of each slot is preferably less than the thickness of the handle in order to provide a frictional lock that retards movement of the handle within each slot. Some embodiments of the internal bag closure incorporate a scalloped portion at each end of its central section, which is the section that covers the bag opening. Such scalloped portions are preferably die-cut and each defines an arc that is geometrically calculated to fit within the interior of the bag based upon the bag width and depth to allow the natural inward tendency of the gusset fold to be unimpeded.

In the preferred internal bag closure, the parallel folded over sections are of a double thickness formed by including two sections of equal width defined by a fold, identically shaped handle orifices through each section, and folding over the sections upon themselves and glued together. This arrangement is preferred as it increases the durability of the internal bag closure, and it provides a finished edge to the internal bag closure. However, other embodiments are of single thickness.

The kit of the present invention includes an internal bag closure and a conventional SOS bag. The kit is preferably provided partially assembled with the internal bag closure attached to the internal front face of the bag, and flat against this face. The user would readily deduce the attachment to the second side from that seen on the first, a maneuver ordinarily requiring no more than one to two seconds.

The internal bag closure is easily re-closable such that the user may open the shopping bag and re-close it multiple times, maintaining the practicality offered by a shopping bag, that its contents may be removed or added to as required.

As is readily evident from the foregoing, a closure for SOS shopping bags has long been sought and a variety of impractical, impracticable, unaesthetic, or uneconomic attempts have been made to find a solution. The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior attempts by incorporating the following:

(a) Practicality: Its use is intuitive. It folds flat with the bag upon manufacture, for delivery and for storage. It protects the contents of the bag from ambient conditions, dust and weather. It shields the contents from view thus diminishing the attraction of theft and also impedes theft. It not only shields the contents from view but also allows a decorative and more gift-like presentation. It can be used for the furtherance of brand identity or other advertising.

(b) Aesthetic appeal: The bag closed by the internal bag closure will be at least as appealing as an open bag without the closure, and indeed more so.

(c) Economy: The cost of adding the closure to a shopping bag will not exceed 15% of the basic bag cost, enabling broad use, and even certain consequential economies, as the elimination for the need for tissue paper, often a poor substitute for a closure.

(d) Removability: The consumer who wishes to reuse the shopping bag, but without the closure, can easily and intuitively remove it.

Therefore it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that will be aesthetically pleasing.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that will effectively protect the contents of the bag from damage.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that is secured within the open top of the bag.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that is not prone to shifting and loss of protection in transit.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that may be easily folded flat when not in use.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that is economical to manufacture.

It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a bag closure for the open tops of handled SOS bags that allows the bag to be reused.

These aspects of the present invention are not meant to be exclusive and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a prior art automatically finished SOS bag in an open position.

FIG. 1B is a front view of the bag of FIG. 1A in a folded position FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of a prior art automatically finished bag in an open position.

FIG. 2B is a back view of the bag of FIG. 2A in a folded position FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art automatically finished SOS bag with bottom gusset.

FIG. 4A is an perspective assembly view of the kit of the present invention showing the internal bag closure of the present invention and a prior art automatically finished SOS bag.

FIG. 4B is a partially assembled perspective view of the kit of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a partially assembled top view of the kit of FIG. 4A showing one handle in its fully assembled position and one handle in its partially assembled position.

FIG. 5 is a back perspective view the kit of FIGS. 4A-4D with the internal bag closure in position to be folded flat within the bag.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the internal bag closure of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the internal bag closure of the present invention with scalloped ends.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3 show a typical prior art automatically finished SOS bag 10. Prior art SOS bag 10 includes a front panel 12, a back panel 14, right side gusset 16, left side gusset 18, bottom gusset 20, an open top opposite the bottom gusset 20. Front handle 24 is attached to front patch 26 and back handle 28 is attached to back patch 27. Front patch 26 and back patch 27 are affixed to the inside of the front panel 12 and back panel 14 respectively, preferably by gluing, at a location that allows the front handle 24 and back handle 28 to extend upward from the open top.

Right side gusset 16 and left side gusset 18, and bottom gusset 20 allow the SOS bag 10 to be expanded from a flat folded position to the open position, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 3. When folded, bottom gusset 20 folds upward toward the formerly open top and right side gusset 16, left side gusset 18 fold inward. When expanded and open, prior art SOS bag 10 may rest upright with bottom gusset 20 on the ground forming the bottom of the SOS bag 10. Although the SOS bag 10 of FIG. 3 includes an inverted bottom gusset 20 that folds upward between the front panel 12 and back panels 14 when closed, it is noted that many prior art SOS bags 10, including the bag shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, include bottom gussets 20 that fold upward and cover part of the back panel 14 when folded.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A-6, one embodiment of the internal bag closure 50 and kit 100 including a knotted external handle bag 10 is shown and described. FIG. 4A is an assembly view of the kit 100 of the present invention. The kit 100 includes a bag 10 and an internal bag closure 50. The bag 10 is a prior art automatically finished SOS bag similar in all respects to the bag 10 described with reference to FIG. 3.

The internal bag closure 50 is most clearly described with reference to FIG. 6. The internal bag closure 50 is preferably manufactured from a single sheet or panel of paper or lightweight board. The paper weight of the internal bag closure 50 is preferably between 250-400 gsm, but may be more or less depending upon the particular application, and may be laminated or unlaminated, coated or uncoated, or made of any other suitable material that offers a similar function.

The internal bag closure 50 has a length that is preferably 10-15% less than the width of the bag. The internal bag closure 50 incorporates a right end 70 and left end 72 of its central section 56, which is the section that covers the open top of the bag. The ends 70, 72 of FIG. 6 are linear ends 70, 72. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the ends 70, 72 may be die cut scalloped shaped ends that each define an arc that is geometrically calculated based upon the bag width and depth to allow the natural inward tendency of the folds of the side gussets 16, 18 to be unimpeded.

The preferred internal bag closure 50 has front folded over section 52 and back folded over section 54 which are substantially parallel, extend the length of the internal bag closure 50. Front fold 53 and back fold 55 in the panel at the interior of the in the parallel folded over sections 52, 54 define a central section 56 having a width approximately equal to the depth of the bag 10. The distance between front edge 71 and front fold 53 and rear edge 73 and rear fold 55 are each preferably approximately 20-30 mm. Each of the parallel folded over sections 52, 54 of the internal bag closure 50 includes a handle orifice 58, 60 therethrough. Each handle orifice 58, 60 is shaped to allow the easy passage of the handles 24, 28 of the bag 10 through the orifice 58, 60. Each hand orifice 58, 60 preferably takes the form of an elongated slot 64 having a width that is less than the thickness of the handles 24, 28. The slot of each handle orifice 58, 60 terminates such that the end 66, 67 of each slot is disposed proximate to the location of the one side of each handle at its point of attachment to the patch 20. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the end 66, 67 of each slot 64, 65 is semicircular in shape. This shape is preferred due to its improved tear resistance over sharply angled ends. However, the end 66, 67 of each slot 64, 65 may take any shape.

Referring again to FIGS. 4A-4C, the assembly of the kit 100 is described. As shown in FIG. 4A, the internal bag closure 50 is first positioned above the open top of the bag 10. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the internal bag closure 50 is then fitted into the open top of the bag 10 and the handle 24 are passed through orifice 58 and may be pushed downward, as shown in FIG. 4B. The other handle 24 is then passed through the orifice 60 and the process is repeated. The end result of this process is shown in FIG. 4C in which the internal bag closure 50 covers the open top of the bag 10 and handles 24, 28 are disposed through orifices 58, 60 such that the sides of each handle 24, 28 abut the ends 66, 67 of each slot 64 of each orifice 58, 60.

One distinct advantage of the internal bag closure 50 is its ability to be secured and stored flat within the bag 10 when not in use. As shown in FIG. 5, when the bag 10 is emptied and is ready for storage, one handle 24 may be removed from the orifice 58 while the other handle 28 remain in their location at the ends 66, 67 of each slot 64, 65 in orifice 58. This results in the internal bag closure 50 hanging parallel to one side of the bag 10, allowing the bag 10 to be folded flat with the internal bag closure 50 secured within.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the description should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An internal bag closure for a self opening square bag having a front panel, a back panel, a right side gusset having a fold, a left side gusset having a fold, a bottom gusset, an open top opposite the bottom gusset, a front handle attached to an inside surface of the front panel proximate the open top and a back handle attached to the an inside surface of the back panel proximate the open top, wherein a distance between the front panel and the back panel defines a depth of the bag and wherein a distance between the right side gusset and left side gusset defines a width of the bag, wherein said internal bag closure comprises: a front folded over section having a front edge and a back folded over section having a back edge, wherein said front edge of said front folded over section is substantially parallel to said back edge of said back folded over section, a central section disposed between said front folded over section and said back folded over section, wherein said central section comprises a right end and a left end, wherein a minimum distance between said right end and said left end defines a length, and wherein said length is less than the width of the bag; a front fold disposed between said front folded over section and said central section and a back fold disposed between said back folded over section, wherein a distance between said front fold and said back fold defines a width, and wherein said width is substantially equal to the depth of the bag; and a handle orifice disposed through each of said front fold and said back fold, wherein each handle orifice comprises a slot extending along a portion of a length of said front fold and said back fold, wherein each of said slots has a width that is less than a thickness of the handle and terminates at an end.
 2. The internal bag closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front folded over section, said back folded over section, said front fold and said back fold are central section disposed between said front folded over section and said back folded over section comprise a single sheet of paper having a paper weight between 250-400 gsm.
 3. The internal bag closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said length of said central portion is between ten percent and fifteen percent less the width of the bag.
 4. The internal bag closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein at said right end and said left end of said central portion are scalloped shaped.
 5. The internal bag closure as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said scalloped shaped right end and said scalloped shaped left end define an arc that allows a natural inward tendency of the folds of the left side gusset and right side gusset of the bag to be unimpeded by said internal bag closure.
 6. The internal bag closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between said front edge of said front folded over section and said front fold is between twenty and thirty millimeters and wherein a distance between said back edge of said back folded over section and said back fold is between twenty and thirty millimeters.
 7. The internal bag closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said front edge and said back edge is a finished edge.
 8. A bag kit comprising: a self opening square bag comprising: a front panel, a back panel, a right side gusset having a fold, a left side gusset having a fold, a bottom gusset, an open top opposite said bottom gusset, a front handle attached to an inside surface of said front panel proximate said open top and a back handle attached to an inside surface of said back panel proximate said open top; wherein a distance between said front panel and said back panel defines a depth of said bag and wherein a distance between said right side gusset and said left side gusset defines a width of said bag; and an internal bag closure comprising: a front folded over section having a front edge and a back folded over section having a back edge, wherein said front edge of said front folded over section is substantially parallel to said back edge of said back folded over section, a central section disposed between said front folded over section and said back folded over section, wherein said central section comprises a right end and a left end, wherein a minimum distance between said right end and said left end defines a length, and wherein said length is less than said width of said bag; a front fold disposed between said front folded over section and said central section and a back fold disposed between said back folded over section, wherein a distance between said front fold and said back fold defines a width, and wherein said width is substantially equal to said depth of said bag; and a handle orifice disposed through each of said front fold and said back fold, wherein each handle orifice comprises a slot extending along a portion of a length of said front fold and said back fold, wherein each of said slots has a width that is less than a thickness of each of said front handle and said back handle and terminates at an end; wherein said kit is assembled by disposing said internal bag closure within said open top of said bag, securing said front handle within said front handle orifice and securing said back handle within said back handle orifice.
 9. The bag kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said front folded over section, said back folded over section, said front fold and said back fold are central section disposed between said front folded over section and said back folded over section comprise a single sheet of paper having a paper weight between 250-400 gsm.
 10. The bag kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said length of said central portion of said internal bag closure is between ten percent and fifteen percent less said width of said bag.
 11. The bag kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein at said right end and said left end of said central portion of said internal bag closure are scalloped shaped.
 12. The bag kit as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said scalloped shaped right end and said scalloped shaped left end of said internal bag closures define an arc that allows a natural inward tendency of said folds of said left side gusset and right side gusset of said bag to be unimpeded by said internal bag closure.
 13. The bag kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein a distance between said front edge of said front folded over section and said front fold of said internal bag closures is between twenty and thirty millimeters and wherein a distance between said back edge of said back folded over section and said back fold of said internal bag closures is between twenty and thirty millimeters.
 14. The bag kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of said front edge and said back edge of said internal bag closures is a finished edge. 